


Bats in the Night

by theflyingdalek



Category: Batman (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws, Under the Red Hood
Genre: M/M, batfam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2013-08-08
Packaged: 2017-12-17 11:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 3,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyingdalek/pseuds/theflyingdalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Are you alright?" Dick asked, just to make sure.</p><p>"Of course I am, idiot. Now let's go. I want to punch something."</p><p>"Remember, no.." Dick started.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. No killing when on patrol with a Bat. I know the rules," Jason interrupted.</p><p>"Well then," Dick replied with a grin, "Let's fly."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey Dickie Bird."

Dick Grayson flinched when he heard the very light thump of someone Bat-trained landing behind him, but he didn't look away from his target. He had a very small window of time to shoot a tranquilizer into his target, and he was not going to let anyone ruin a month's worth of research and planning.

Dick adjusted the scope on his rifle a little and glanced at his watch. It was time. He readied his finger on the trigger.

5....4...3....2....

The body fell to the floor.

Dick whirled around to glare at the Red Hood.

" _Jason!_ "

The Red Hood stuck his hands up in a defensive position.

"Hey! It was a tranq dart. I didn't kill the guy."

Dick sighed slightly in relief but rolled his eyes anyway.

"Of course you would take my shot."

"Anything to impress Your Majesty the Nightwing," Jason replied.

Dick sighed. He had about three minutes to get down there and lug the body into van that was already waiting to take the criminal to another location. Then again, it might go faster with an extra pair of hands. Right before he jumped off the roof of the building, Dick turned to look at his brother.

"You coming or what?"  
 


	2. Chapter 2

Dick didn't have to turn around to know that Jason was flying right behind him. There was a special feeling that one got when one was flying with a member of the Batfam. It felt like home, which was saying something since most of the Batfamily didn't feel like they had a home.

They wrapped up the "carting the criminal away" part of the mission rather quickly.

"Anything else I can help with, Nightwing?" Red Hood asked.

Dick frowned a little. It wasn't really like Red Hood to be... well... _helpful_.

But hey, if Jason was putting in the effort, Dick would too.

"Just patrol now. You want to join?"

The Red Hood nodded. 

"Nothing better to do tonight," the Red Hood replied.

Dick paused. He looked over at his brother.

"Are you alright?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Of course I am, idiot. Now let's go. I want to punch something."

"Remember, no.." Dick started.

"Yeah, yeah. No killing when on patrol with a Bat. I know the rules," Jason interrupted.

"Well then," Dick replied with a grin, "Let's fly."  
 


	3. Chapter 3

It was a good patrol. They had always fought well together. They didn't talk much tonight though. Right now, they were both catching their breath after chasing and capturing a surprisingly fast mugger with a mean right hook. Dick was sitting against the alley wall, while Jason remained standing, even though he looked like he could topple over at any minute.

When they were younger, and Bruce let Dick take Jason out on patrol, Dick would treat Jason to ice cream afterwards. Dick was pretty sure that if he offered now, Jason would laugh in his face.

But then again, what the hell?

"Hood," Dick called.

"Yeah?"

"Want to go grab some ice cream?"

The Red Hood paused for a moment and looked down at Dick. Then he nodded.

"Is that one place this open?" Jason asked.

"Tommy's? Yeah," Dick replied a little breathlessly, more than a little surprised that Jason had agreed.

"You're paying."

"Yeah, yeah."  
 


	4. Chapter 4

Dick loved to make what Jason liked to call "ice cream monstrosities". He would pile on every weird flavor and topping he could find, and no matter how gross Jason said it was, Dick would finish it every time. Even that time with the mustard flavor ice cream. 

Jason would ask for one scoop of strawberry and one scoop of chocolate. If he was feeling daring, he would ask for a maraschino cherry. Dick thought that Jason took all the fun out of eating ice cream.

They sat across from each other at the 24-hour diner booth. 

"So what's up?" Dick asked. He felt awkward. He and Jason hadn't really had a proper conversation that didn't involve fighting and/or feelings with since before....

"Nothing really. Patrol and all that. Cleaning up Gotham."

"Hm."

There was another awkward pause. How did brotherly things normally go? Or more specifically, how did brotherly-things-when-one-brother-is-estranged-from-the-family-and-may-have-been-dead-for-a-while go?

And then Dick remembered the footage that he had watched when he hacked Bruce's database after the fallout with Jason. 

"Did you _really_ tell him that you were a better Batman than he was?"

Jason blushed. And this was another reason why Dick liked the brotherly bonding, because on patrol Dick could never see a single expression behind that stupid helmet.

"Like seriously? Oh my GOD. What did his face look like?"

And suddenly they were laughing so loudly and uncontrollably that the tired-looking waitress managed the energy to shoot them a glare. After attempting to stifle their laughter for a while, the giggling died down.

When Dick finally controlled his laughing enough to look over at his brother, Jason looked thoughtful.

"Does he ever talk about me?"

Dick froze. It wasn't like Jason to bring Bruce up unprovoked.

"All the time," Dick answered honestly.

"Did he talk about me before I died?" Jason asked in a small voice.

Dick looked at Jason, who had shut down his expression, as if afraid of the answer.

"You were his son, Jay. Of course he did," Dick replied.

Jason ate a spoonful of Dick's ice cream sundae and shuddered.

"I have no idea how you eat that shit."

"Jay, what is this about?"

"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, Dickie," Jason answered with a sad grin, "Thanks for the ice cream."

And with that, Jason stood up and left.


	5. Chapter 5

Dick paid for the ice cream and left the diner. The surly waitress gave him an understanding look, as if he'd been walked out on. Then again, he kind of had been walked out on. Whatever.

The air outside was warm and humid. It was still dark, but a few early risers were already scuttling to their workplaces. Dick just wanted to be at home and in bed, but there was something about Jason's attitude tonight...

_So tell me what you want what you really really want..._

Dick's phone rang. It was Bruce.

"Bruce?" Dick answered.

"Dick," Bruce sounded slightly relieved.

"Anything wrong?"

Dick was slightly worried, Bruce rarely called his personal line. Actually, Dick couldn't ever remember Bruce calling his personal line. It was usually Alfred who would check up on him.

"Nothing. Have you seen Jason around lately? I mean, I know you sometimes run into each other during patrols.." 

Bruce sounded like he was forcing nonchalance. What the hell had Jason done?

"Uh yeah. I've seen him around. I mean, we both patrol... Wait. Don't you ever run into him?" Dick asked.

Bruce paused for a moment.

"No. I think he makes sure that we don't."

Dick winced. Of course. He shouldn't have asked.

"Why, what did he do?" Dick asked.

"He... he left me a note," Bruce answered.

"What? Like a post-it on the door? How do you know it's from him?" 

"He booby trapped it."

"Ah. Yep. That's him alright. What did it say?"

"He wants me to meet him."

That couldn't be good.

"And you need backup?" Dick asked.

Bruce paused for a moment.

"No. I just wanted to see if you'd heard from him. If he's alright."

Dick wanted to tell Bruce about the patrolling and the ice cream, but Dick assumed that Jason wouldn't like that. Bruce probably knew already anyway. Bruce tended to know everything about the members of his family. Even estranged ones.

Whatever it was that Jason had planned, Dick hoped that neither of them would get hurt too badly. They always seemed to say exactly the wrong things around each other.


	6. Chapter 6

Batman slipped through the open window of the designated building and was surprised to see the Red Hood leaning against the wall of the empty room. Even though Jason _had_ sent the note... well... Batman didn't like to get his hopes up.

"Jason," Batman breathed.

The Red Hood looked up.

"It's 'Hood' when I'm in the getup, B. I'm shocked that you'd drop protocol. I mean, since you wrote it and all."

Batman stood next to the window. He wasn't exactly sure what Jason wanted, and it was always helpful to have a nearby exit.

"What do you want, Hood?" Batman attempted to growl, but he had an sneaking suspicion that he just sounded exhausted.

"Do I need a reason to want to see my father, Batdad?" The Red Hood drawled back.

"No," Batman replied. "But you do."

The Red Hood huffed out a soft laugh and shrugged.

"I want to know if you have anything to do with Nightwing."

Batman frowned.

"What about him?"

"You know Nightwing talks to me," The Red Hood pointed out, "You know everything."

"I know you run into each other sometimes on patrol."

Red Hood paused for a while and dug his hands in his pockets. Batman stayed on high alert, even though he seemed alright now, Red Hood was known for his love of explosives. 

"He took me out for ice cream the other day," Red Hood breathed.

Batman had the weird feeling that he was being confessed to. He hated this feeling. Even when he was raising the kids, he had issues talking to them properly.

"He did that when you were kids, too," Batman replied.

"Yeah, well. It was weird. He's weird," The Red Hood sounded uncomfortable.

"He always was," Batman replied.

"So I can safely assume that you didn't put him up to the whole ice cream thing?" the Hood asked.

Batman nodded. He knew he only had moments before Jason leapt out of the window and into the night. He had to say something, something to fix what he should have never let break.

"Hood."

Red Hood paused with one leg out the window.

"Alfred wanted me to let you know you're welcome to come home for Friday night dinner anytime," Batman muttered.

"Right," Red Hood whispered, "Alfred."

And then Jason Todd jumped out into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Bruce had some major issues. Seriously. Alfred wanted him home for dinner? Not that Alfred wouldn't want him back, but the fact that Bruce couldn't say something as simple as "I miss you" in a straightforward way was probably exactly why all the Robins ended up with major issues.

Jason thought about his... childhood as he threw up another line and prepared for his next swing. Flying was the best way to clear his mind. And maybe he could figure out exactly what the hell Dick was trying to accomplish.

Then again, why play defense? Sometimes with the Bats, you just had to startle someone into getting your information. 

Maybe Jason would take the Big Bat's offer on Saturday night dinner. 

Alfred would possibly take that as a thank you for the boxed meals that he left on Jason's doormat whenever Jason was injured. 

Two bats with one stone.


	8. Chapter 8

Jason snuck in through the Replacement's window. He was pretty sure that if he showed up at the front door, someone would have a heart attack. Surprise drop in? Much easier to swallow.

He had to give the Batfamily some credit. He showed up in the dining room for the first time in four years, and chaos didn't break out. Bruce simply blinked and nodded, lost in thought. Replacement and the Replacement's Replacement both rolled their eyes. The Batwomen each offered him a smile, or in Batgirl's case, a glare. Dick grinned blindingly, and Alfred greeted him as if he showed up every week. They even had a placemat set for him next to Dick. It seemed that the seats were arranged in some sort of chronological order.

Dick didn't even try to hide his glee as Jason sat down next to him. 

"Does Alfred always set a spot for me?" Jason muttered to Dick.

"Of course he does! You're family. Bruce would flip out if he didn't. I mean, Alfred would do it even if Bruce didn't care, but Bruce is the one who always double checks that the table is in order," Dick whispered back.

"Masters Dick and Jason. I believe it is time to say grace," Alfred admonished.

Jason had forgotten about the Wayne rules. Before every meal, they needed to take time for prayer. And then Alfred had to go and drop a bomb.

"Master Jason, would you do the honors?"

Shit. Jason glanced around the table, panicked. The girls and Dick seemed like they were seconds from cracking up. Both the Batbrat boys looked at him like they thought he deserved being thrown under the bus. Maybe he did. Bruce watched Jason with a look that Jason recognized, closed off, measuring, thoughtful. It was the look that Bruce gave when he loved someone he didn't trust. 

Most of the family closed their eyes and bowed their heads, but Bruce kept his eyes open and on Jason. Jason didn't break eye contact.

"Uhm. Dear God, thanks for..."

And then it happened. Years of shoving off thoughts regarding anything Bat related came back to bite him in the ass. He didn't even think as he began to spew anything and everything he could think of.

"...kevlar and batarangs. Flying. Short capes. Uniforms that don't have underwear on the outside. Grappling hooks. Domino masks. The Bat Cave. Homemade dinners. Surveillance cameras. People who know what's under Batman's cowl. People who don't know who we are. People who love us. People who hate us. The Justice League. The Teen Titans. Superhero teams in general. The fact that Clark and Bruce are so in love that everyone but they can see it. Jackasses that are so terrible at being evil that they make our lives easier. Traceable bullets. Bat-shaped badguy trackers..."

Jason couldn't read Bruce's expression, so he looked over at Dick, who had opened his eyes and was giving Jason a ridiculously hopeful expression. 

"... and thanks for ice cream. Even when it is served in a disgusting combination."


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of dinner was pretty painful. Dick was smiling so widely that Jason was slightly worried his face would crack in two. Bruce kept giving Jason looks as if he suspected that Jason was sick and dying, and the Bat Brats were a joy as always. 

But after Alfred cleared the tables of desserts and the rest of the family scattered, Dick stayed behind to talk to Jason.

"Thanks for that, by the way. It means a lot to them," Dick whispered.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't expect me to do it again though."

Dick got a strange look in his eye then.

"You know I always expect the most from you, Jaybird."

"Well, I always knew you were the family idiot."

Dick punched Jason on the shoulder.

"I mean it! You think too little of yourself," Dick continued.

"Believe me," Jason replied, lightly shoving Dick away, "I don't."

Dick let out a laugh.

"I didn't mean that you had confidence issues. We all know you think that you can do anything..."

"That's because I can."

"...I meant that you don't think you're a good person," Dick finished.

"I'm not a good person. I sometimes do good things, but I'm broken, baby."

Dick pouted. God, that man could look adorable when he wanted to.

"You're not broken," Dick protested, frowning.

"You don't know anything," Jason replied.

And with that, he turned around and slipped out of the window.


	10. Chapter 10

There were rules within the order of the Batkids. Well, one rule in particular.

It had started when Jason was kid Robin and Dick was still figuring out his way. Dick was home from college for the weekend and Alfred had sent them outside with pie and lemonade. Jason was talking about how Bruce had nearly had his head chopped off the week before, and Dick decided that Jason needed a way to contact Dick in case of an emergency. Some sort of code word that could be sent and would always be answered no matter how angry one was at the other. 

They had decided on a number. It was 9270. 

They ended up only really using it twice. Once, when Bruce had been hospitalized with a critical brain injury. 

The second time was a couple of months after Jason died, Dick sent a text message to Jason's phone with just the number 9270. When Jason received it, he had thrown the phone into the nearest body of water and then puked. It was his first active decision to stay dead in the eyes of his family. 

It still haunts him sometimes.

Especially during moments like this, when Jason was climbing out of a window of the Wayne Manor. It just felt too... familiar. Too much like home. 

Dick sometimes felt too much like home.


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as Jason got out of Wayne Manor, he began to run. 

He didn't stop running until he got to the inky black river. 

When Jason was stressed, he ran. He definitely didn't get the habit from Big B, B liked to fly when he was stressed, so Jason assumed that it was something he got from his real parents. Like his habit of fucking everything up.

This thing with Dick, whatever it was. Brotherly recompense. Something more. Whatever it was, it was not going to work out. Jason would screw it up somehow. And although Jason was a jackass, hurting someone like Dick wasn't something he wanted to do. And if Jason kept this up, hurting Dick wouldn't be an option. Dick was _good_. Golden hearted in a way that Jason wasn't. It would be better to break ties now, before things got messier than they already were. Jason shouldn't have gone to dinner in Wayne Manor. He was giving false hope. Jason knew better than that.

So he ran.


	12. Chapter 12

Dick had moved back in for the holidays. 

Bruce liked having a full house for the holidays. But a constantly moping Dick was not really helping everyone's holiday spirit. Tim and Damian had already been into the Cave to complain. Stephanie had been repeatedly shooting Bruce "take care of this" looks. As if Bruce knew how to take care of it.

Jason had disappeared for a reason. If Dick wanted to find him, Dick would have to do it on his own.

Bruce wasn't going to get involved in whatever was going on between them. Bruce also knew that when Jason felt trapped, he ran. Bruce just wished that Dick would understand that as well and give Jason the space he needed. That probably wouldn't happen.

So when Dick came into the Batcave with his shoulders hunched to ask for the help he needed to find Jason, Bruce ducked into a hiding spot to avoid his son.

And if coordinates to the location where Jason was last spotted in Portugal were still on his desktop screen, well, Dick would have found the spot anyway, Bruce was just hurrying the kid along.

No one but Batman should mope during the holidays.


	13. Chapter 13

"I didn't know you liked water fountains, Jay."

Hm. Dick found him faster than Jason had expected. B must have helped him.

Jason fought the urge to roll his eyes as he turned away from the beautiful fountain to face Dick.

"The Trevi Fountain isn't just a _water fountain_ , you..."

"...uncultured swine?" Dick finished with a laugh.

Jason found himself laughing as well. It was oddly familiar to have these old arguments bubbling up again. Dick and his ridiculously terrible taste in music, films, art, and food. It was almost too much all over again. But then again, Dick had put his time in and found him. Jason could give him a chance. Suddenly Jason was very aware of all the noisy tourists crowding around them.

"You need someplace to crash, Dickie-bird?" Jason asked, "I've got an apartment outside the city."

Dick blinked, as if surprised by the offer. 

"Uhm. Yeah. I mean, no, I don't have a place to crash...." Dick trailed off, "I can stay with you?"

Jason grinned widely, mostly to hide his own anxiety about this whole... thing.

"Sure thing, bat butt," Jason answered, "my bike is just around the corner."


	14. Chapter 14

"Nice place," Dick voiced.

Jason's apartment was actually, much nicer than Dick had expected. Especially compared to the places the guy kept when he was in Gotham. At least this place was clean. And had windows. Then again, in Gotham, windows weren't always a plus. 

"Thanks," Jason answered, tossing a beer at Dick, "so what brings you out here, dear brother?"

"Oh, you know, normal stuff. Following leads...tracking down targets...." Dick trailed off as he twisted the bottle cap off.

"And who is your target this time?" 

"A brother," Dick answered simply.

Jason snorted.

"I'm not your brother."

Dick put his hand on Jason's arm. 

"Yes, you are. You're family," Dick insisted.

Jason grinned, and Dick almost shivered. It was a grin Dick knew too well. It was a grin that meant that Jason was about to do something outlandishly reckless.

And the reckless act turned out to be a surprisingly sweet kiss.

Jason pulled back, and the look in his eyes went steely. 

"Is that acceptable between brothers?" Jason asked innocently.

Dick paused for a moment and tried to read the Jason's facial expression, before giving up and tugging Jason closer to him.

"Well, we've always been a dysfunctional family anyway."


	15. Epilogue

"I'm not going in there," Jason growled.

Dick had his arm tucked around Jason's waist, and as much as that feeling was slightly and horrifyingly comforting, Jason needed to put his foot down. There was only so far he would go. 

And he would _not_ go into the Batcave. 

"He's okay with it. I promise. We talked about it already," Dick whined.

"He only agreed with it because he knows that I would never go back in there," Jason argued.

Jason pulled himself away from Dick. Maybe Dick would get the hint. 

Instead, Dick grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes seriously.

"Is this a _thing_?" he asked.

Jason sighed. Dick had issues with saying the word "death" or even mentioning the short period of time in which Jason had been deceased, so he had come up with a very strange tone of voice to refer to those events.

"No," Jason sighed, "it is not a _thing_."

Dick seemed a little more comforted by Jason's answer and began to tug Jason closer to the Batcave.

Jason let himself be pulled along. If it would make Dick happy. And he could escape at the soonest possible moment.

But as soon as they reached the actual entrance, Jason froze. 

He hadn't stepped in to the cave since _the event_ , and he hadn't thought he would ever make it back. As much as Dick had repeated, "Once a Robin, always a Robin" over and over again, and even though Damian mentioned it on patrol once, Jason just hadn't believed it. Jason had crossed a line, and although he didn't regret it at all, and he believed in what he was doing, Jason had done it in full knowledge of giving up his cape. And now he was going back...

Dick stopped as soon as he noticed that Jason had frozen. Dick put his hands on Jason's shoulder and looked into his eyes seriously and earnestly.

"You're his son, and that's all that matters to him right now."

Jason took a deep breath and took the step into the Batcave. No matter how Bruce treated him, no matter what happened in the future, Jason knew that Dick was right behind him, and that was all Jason needed.


End file.
